Courting in Coal Country
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: This story depicts Katniss's journey of love while growing up as a young Seam woman in District 12. It took me a bit to get the flow of this story in a way that makes sense, but I really think you all will like it. Please, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Spring Dance

**Chapter 1: Spring Dance**

I can't even remember what it is we were fighting about, what it was that got him mad when he came to walk Prim and I to school this morning. All I know is that thinking about Gale is still making me seethe, even at the end of the school day as I go to my locker to collect my schoolbooks and things. Further down the hall, I see Prim running up to me. Normally, she waits for me under our favorite tree in the schoolyard, but I guess she just could not contain herself this afternoon. It is Friday, after all, the weekend, and she wants to go play in the Meadow with me and her goat, Lady. I hug my baby sister affectionately. Prim, the one person whom I am certain I love.

Just as I am stuffing the last of my books into my satchel, I look up only to nearly bump into a head of blonde hair and deep blue eyes. I am struck by their shade... eyes as blue as a summer sky...

It is Peeta Mellark, the Baker's youngest of three sons. We have been classmates in Upper School for years, though we have never spoken at all. We only interacted once, and it was years ago, when we were small children, just Prim's age. Maybe even a little younger. When my family and I were starving, Peeta Mellark tossed me bread in a pouring rain. Seeing him now directly in front of me and nervously looking as though he wants to actually speak to me fills me with shame as I am reminded how I have never thanked him for his kindness, even years later. He probably doesn't even remember the encounter.

"Hi, Katniss," he finally gets out.

I dip my head slightly in deference. "Hello," I reply, trying not to make my voice sound so guarded, so wary. I have never been very good at making friends, and have a bit of an anti-social disposition. When you live as hard of a life as I do in the Seam of District 12, you learn not to be so trusting of other people. Everyone has their own ulterior motives, and Peeta is surely no exception in this moment. He must be after something if he is willing to speak to me for the first time with little to no forewarning.

There is a brief awkward silence until Peeta appears to remember why he is standing there. I ignore how Prim is glancing between the two of us curiously. "So... you know about the Spring Dance tomorrow night?"

I immediately bristle. He isn't actually going to...? "I don't do dances," I inform him flatly. And it's true, I haven't been to one school dance. Gale tried to get me to go to one about two years ago, and at first I thought he was asking as a joke.

Still, I have to admire Peeta's pluck. He's persistent, for he finally gets out. "Well, would you like dances better if you went with me?"

I raise one eyebrow at him, taken aback and very confused. "Like a date?" I ask, hugging my books to my chest. Beside me, I hear Prim gasp, her eyes shining.

"It can be whatever you want it to be," Peeta placates gently. I know better, though, and so does he. Any boy asks a girl to an event or a meal, it's a date, no matter how innocent. And if there is one thing I do even less than dances, it's dates. I have already vowed to never fall in love or get married, never mind having kids. A husband is just something to lose and be forever emotionally wounded by that loss; just look at my mother after Daddy died in a mine accident when I was 11. Babies are just something to lose to the sadistic Hunger Games.

Besides, Peeta and I are strangers. Plus, he's a Merchant. I'm Seam. The last example of a Merchant and Seamer getting together in any romantic sense is the courtship of my own parents, which caused quite the scandal a mere twenty years ago. There's only one thing a Merchant boy is after, people say, and that's getting into a Seam girl's pants. At least until his more prejudiced parents make him grow up and toy the class line.

But Prim is already begging me, "Say Yes! Katniss, say Yes!"

"Primrose, hush," I order, though my eyes don't leave Peeta's. At least until I look over...

And see Gale watching the scene with intense scrutiny, a scowl on his face, but his eyes pleading and fearful. He has witnessed the entire exchange and overheard at least enough of it. I frown back at him, still furious over our spat this morning, even if I have forgotten what it was about.

This is what motivates me to turn back to Peeta and say with no nonsense, my expression blank. "Yes. Pick me up at seven." And I take Prim's hand and flee the school building, leaving an elated Peeta and consternated Gale in my wake.

* * *

When there is a knock on our door at precisely 7:00 the next evening, I nearly faint and have to beg Mother to open the door for me. Peeta is standing on our stoop in a nice shirt and slacks. He carries an umbrella, clearly in reaction to the storm clouds gathering overhead. If Mother is surprised by my gentleman caller, she doesn't give away anything on her face. She seemed more surprised when Prim blabbed to her yesterday that I was even going to the Spring Dance at all. But I suppose she understands, as she once broke all tradition when it came to a Merchant, when she wasn't much older than me.

The dance is in full swing when Peeta and I get there. I grow increasingly hot as I dance in Peeta's arms all night, his piercing blue eyes making my insides do things I have never known them to do. By the time we depart after the Last Call, it is pouring outside the school, and despite my protests, Peeta insists on us sharing his umbrella as he walks me all the way home.

We stop just outside of my front porch. Peeta turns to face me and I tense, wondering what he is going to do. It is tradition for two people to kiss after a date. At least, that's what Madge has always gossiped about at our lunch table in school.

"Good night," Peeta says. He starts to turn away, and I become too relaxed. For all at once, the boy seems to gather his courage, as he doubles back, swoops down and kisses me full on the mouth.

I freeze in shock, but only for a moment. It is my first kiss, and I don't want to screw it up. Peeta's hands cradle my face, his lips slanting over mine. To my shock, I feel my eyes suddenly flutter closed. The umbrella, which up to now, I had been holding, slips from my hand and falls into the muddy dirt.

"Uhmmmmm..." The sound comes from the back of my throat, and it prompts Peeta to release me... even if I am not yet ready for him to. I gape at him, speechless, watching as he smiles shyly, picks up the ruined umbrella, and walks away in the rain. I touch my kissed lips in wonderment, suddenly realizing that I would be content if no one else, save for Peeta, ever kissed me again.

Peeta's magical kiss prompts me to tentatively agree to a relationship.

Only weeks after Peeta and I start going out, I lose my new boyfriend to the 74th Hunger Games.


	2. Chapter 2: Fall Festival

**Chapter 2: Fall Festival**

I burst in the door without knocking, returning from my hunt. I didn't catch much, more of my time spent thinking about Peeta, dead in his grave for two, almost two and a half, years. A dull ache has begun to replace the initial anguish I felt at his death, chastising me for being so foolish as to trust my heart and prompting me to vow that I would never do so again, that I had been right before. Some days are harder than others.

I brighten when I see Prim standing in one of the fancier dresses she owns. The Fall Festival is tonight, and she has been so excited to go. Mother will take her; I don't do parties, and haven't since the Spring Dance with Peeta.

"Wow! Look at you! You look beautiful! Better tuck in that tale, Little Duck," I affectionately fix Prim's blouse.

"I got something out for you too," Mother's voice is forced and though she doesn't mean it to be, harsh.

I freeze, my frown hidden by my back to her. But Prim's pleading eyes make me reconsider. "OK," I reserve my weak smile for Prim, even as I steam over Mother double-crossing me into going.

I bathe in our tin tub, and when I approach my bed, I nearly storm into the kitchen stark naked to ream Mother out for her temerity. Never mind the fact that she has largely been an absentee parent since Daddy's death, but that she would _dare_ to -

The blue dress I wore the night of the Spring Dance stares back at me from the mattress, taunting me. I have never worn it since Peeta's death, even going so far as to insisting that Mother sew me a new dress to wear to the Reaping every year. My blue dress is still far fancier, though, as it is a hand-me-down from my Mother's days as a Merchant. All the same, I put it on.

I shouldn't let Mother do up my hair, as punishment for her betrayal. But it is one of the few motherly things that she does for me, and I know that her feelings can be easily hurt. So I just stare blankly into the grimy mirror as Mother pins my hair into the single braid that I like, running down my back. "Now you look beautiful too." She is smiling softly, but the smile doesn't quite reach up to her eyes.

"I wish I looked like you," Prim remarks from the settee.

"Oh no!" I beam, ignoring the stab of pain in my mother's eyes. "I wish I looked like you, Little Duck."

* * *

The Festival has been going on for a bit by the time my family and I get there. I dance with Prim when she asks me to, but after a couple of songs, I peel off to have a seat at Ripper's bar in the Hob. I take a stool down at the far end, and no one bothers me.

Until a man plated in white armor plops into the seat next to me. I'm underage, I know, but I haven't even bought anything! Ripper can attest to that.

"Hello, Katniss."

My shoulders slump slightly in relief as I turn to acknowledge him. "Hello, Darius."

Darius Freeman is a young Peacekeeper private, 20 years old. He is most distinctive for his flaming red hair and flirtatious personality. "Fancy seeing you here, and in such a pretty dress!"

I shrug noncommittally. "My mother made me wear it and come along. At least Prim is happy."

"We should all be so fortunate," Darius smiles. Even the Peacekeepers cannot help but love my baby sister. "Let me buy you a drink." He flags Ripper down. "How about a drop for the lady?"

Ripper eyes me as she pours a thimble's worth of liquor into a shot glass. I imbibe it quickly, before having several more to please Darius's hospitality.

"Now, what would you owe me for getting you underage hooch?" Darius ponders aloud.

I smirk. "Can't imagine."

"How about a kiss?" Darius leans forward.

I laugh, even as I contemplate it. Darius has been trying to get a kiss out of me since I hit puberty. He even tried once while Peeta and I were dating, and he was one of the few people in the whole district who knew I had a boyfriend.

But the liquor has lowered my inhibitions, and so, in answer, I turn to face Darius and lean in, pressing my lips gingerly to his. When I draw away, Darius looks like he has just had the surprise of his life. He probably didn't expect me to say Yes. Ripper laughs uproariously at his shock, her laughter echoing within my pounding headache...

* * *

When I wake up, it is dark, and I am lying on something soft. A bed, I presume. The Festival must be long over. Prim and Mother must have found me - almost certainly knocked out - and carried me home. Just to be sure, I begin to feel around the mattress for the sister whom I share a bed with.

"Prim?"

My hand suddenly brushes against something hard. Something that most definitely does not belong to my sister.

"Katniss?" Darius's voice pings into the darkness. As my eyes adjust, I eventually can identify him, propped up beside me.

I am in Darius, a Peacekeeper's, bed. In his one-room abode, no doubt. I begin to feel around myself, my eyes wide as I try to stave off the panic. What happened while I was unconscious? I can only think of one thing...

"Did... did we have sex?" I ask tentatively.

"No," Darius says quickly. And he speaks the truth, for I discover I am still clothed in my blue dress. Even so, his blue eyes gleam with hope. "You passed out; I couldn't find your family, so I brought you here. Just to let you sleep it off. But... if you want to do..." He is staring at me hopefully.

I frown, actually entertaining the idea. It takes a lot of self-restraint for a Peacekeeper to place a drunken girl in his bed without taking advantage of her. Plenty of Darius's comrades have done that. I appreciate Darius's courtesy and self-control, even while he does have a crush on me. Plus, the alcohol is still clouding my brain somewhat as part of a raging hangover. Like before, I let my actions speak for me, as my one hand cups Darius between his legs and I firmly press my lips to his in a fierce kiss, shoving my tongue into his mouth.

Darius wastes no time in cradling my face in his palms. I feel him leaning over me, his weight pressing me down into the bedclothes. With great strength, I push against him, slamming him onto his back so that the headboard rattles, as I swing one leg over his hips to straddle him. With my free hand, I untie my blue dress so that the bodice falls forward, exposing my bare breasts to the cool night air. The light of the moon glances off my pink nipples.

Darius sits up so that I am fully in his lap, kissing me fiercely as his hands encircle my body, the digits running up and down my naked back. Fingers soon find and unclasp the pins in my hair, so that my brown ringlets cascade past my shoulders in waves. We are chest-to-chest, my nipples rubbing up against his toned pectorals. I kiss Darius back almost violently. With my one palm, I rub, stroke him faster, grooming the organ I touched until it is ready for me.

I feel my blue skirts push up past my hips, my panties creep down my thighs. I coax out Darius's member through the slit in his boxers, the foreskin flopping over and back along the reddened tip.

Darius takes me full into his arms, his tongue going nearly down my throat as he suddenly lifts himself ever so slightly off the mattress and pushes into me.

"Mmmmm..." I let out something between a whimper and a squeak as tears spring to my eyes, in reaction to my virginity being taken. Darius's hands at my waist, he encourages me to move, roll my hips, to match him for each thrust, and soon a warm pleasure begins to take over my body, driving the pain away.

"Hmmmm... Rmmmmmmm... Errrrrr... Uhhhmmmm... Uhhhhh!" I groan and moan as our naked bodies, slick with sweat, slap together in heat. The pace grows faster and faster. Finally -

"Uhhhhhh!" I sigh as I release what I can no longer hold back, my walls clenching around Darius's dick as I milk it. I wilt like a flower, my noodling body sinking onto Darius's member further. With several more grunts, Darius ejaculates inside me, his head drooping into the valley of my breasts. Kissing him sweetly, we roll over in each other's embrace and fall asleep like that, exhausted.

The next morning, I rise before dawn and leave my paramour there. Mother never asks where I have been, and does not seem to notice as I swipe a vial of her contraceptive tea and drain the stuff.


	3. Chapter 3: Belle

**Chapter 3: Belle**

Despite my hesitant reservations, Darius proceeds to woo me. I at last agree to embark on an intimate relationship with him, even though I don't know what else can come of it. Peacekeepers are not allowed to marry, but that doesn't stop some from making love with Seam women and even some Merchants. Cray, in his sloth, cannot enforce everything his subordinates do.

Darius does wonderfully sweet favors for me, often over my objections. He walks Primrose and I to school on a lot of mornings, which annoys Gale greatly, as that is normally his job. After I once tell him that my full name is Katniss Sierra Belle Everdeen, he takes to calling me "Belle," which apparently means _beautiful_ in some foreign, dead language. I blush at his attentions, as I consider Prim and even Mother to be far prettier than me, with their Merchant looks.

One weekend morning, I am trading my game in the Hob. Having a Peacekeeper as a boyfriend does have its perks, especially here, as Darius makes sure I can trade safely, without fear of retribution by his colleagues. Often, this means he patrols the Hob himself and even partakes in a few transactions. Such as now, when he accepts the rabbit meat I present to him.

"Five coin..." He deposits into my hand, before suddenly grabbing it and dragging me into a darkened corner. My eyes are wide with confusion. "And a kiss..." Tilting my chin up in his hands, he kisses my lips passionately, and I close my eyes, savoring the kiss. My game bag slips from my shoulder and plops in the dirt at our feet. At least, my lover has the presence of mind to not kiss me so openly. But there is something about the way Darius kisses me now that makes me suspect all is not well.

"What is it?" I ask gently.

Darius pauses for a moment. Evidently, my guess that he is in discomfort is correct. "I am being transferred to another district," he reports heavily.

I gasp, my heart in torment as a storm begins to brew throughout my soul. "Where? Which one?" My eyes search his.

"That information is classified." Darius runs a calloused paw through my brown hair. "I leave tonight, on the midnight train. Will you come and see me off?"

Wordlessly, I nod in assent.

* * *

The night is still, as - in my blue dress and my mother's shawl and cloak - I approach the District 12 train station, the platform only lit by a single lantern. The locomotive is already there, loading the last of its freight. One figure in a Peacekeeper's uniform waits by the passenger cars. I run into Darius's arms. He clutches me tightly.

"Come with me, Belle!" he suddenly takes my hand, to my shock. Go with him? But no district citizens are ever allowed to leave their homeland, unless you're a Peacekeeper, a Victor, or a tribute!

Despite this, I find myself frowning bemusedly at Darius's proposal. Silently, I contemplatively run my fingers through the strands of Darius's red hair, considering his offer. Wherever he is being stationed, it must have a quality of life that far surpasses what we have here in Twelve. And I have never wanted to stay here forever; Gale and I have sometimes discussed running off with our families into the woods beyond the fence.

I sigh. As tempting as it is, I cannot leave Prim or Mother. Nor Gale. I can't leave Gale. "Darius..." I squeeze his hand. "I want to... but I can't." My eyes convey to him what I cannot say.

Darius smiles sadly, understanding. "Goodbye, Katniss. I love you."

The train whistle blows. Darius and I passionately embrace and kiss. My arms wind about his neck, my fingers fisting the fabric of his coat along his back. I feel Darius's palms cradling my shoulder blades, as our lips dig at each other, ramming our tongues in between the splits our mouths create.

At long last, we break the kiss, panting. At the conductor's last call of "All Aboard!", Darius leaps onto the train. He waves from the car platform as the engine steams away into the night. I blow him a final kiss farewell, waving until I can no longer see him.


	4. Chapter 4: Stubborn Ass

**Chapter 4: Stubborn Ass**

"When you told me that you never wanted to get married or have kids, I understood that. I thought you were at least principled. But then you go sleeping around with a Merchant and worse still, a Peacekeeper! I thought Seamers were supposed to stick together!"

He has been ranting at me all the way down from the Hob. Even the months since Darius's departure, the years since Peeta's death, have done little to ebb Gale's resentment. It's as if he thinks I owe him something, or that something is expected of me, of us.

"The trouble with you is that you have always been a stubborn ass!"

His last comment makes me round on him. "And the trouble with you is you're jealous! What do you want from me?"

Gale scowls. "I want you to marry me, goddammit!" And he suddenly grabs me by the shoulders and crushes his lips to mine in a fiery kiss. After a second, two, of me standing frozen in his arms, he pulls away.

I am flabbergasted. Not by Gale's feelings, necessarily, or even by his proposal. But by the fact that he would actually kiss me. The gall infuriates me, and I seize him by his jacket. For that rare moment, he looks scared.

"Catnip... I..."

My burning eyes soften for just a moment, but my lips are still forceful as I ram them against his, firmly kissing him in return. The kiss quickly deepens, and I take his tongue into my mouth, letting it play with mine.

"Yes," I hiss against his mouth. "But if we get married, we won't have children. And you can't ever tell me what to do." I spring my kissed lips away from his, and search his face. "Deal?"

Gale beams. "Deal."

* * *

Despite being a rebel at heart, I insist on protocol when it comes to getting married. I gratefully accept the offer from Mother to wear her wedding dress when Gale and I go to sign the license at the Justice Building.

That same evening, I change into my blue Reaping dress to properly marry Gale via a Toasting, at the fireplace in the Everdeen family living room. My grey orbs glow in the firelight as Gale and I share the piece of Toasted bread. My expression softly solemn, I tilt my head and permit my new husband to kiss me. As our lips engage, we lick the errant bread crumbs off of each other, eventually licking our way into each other's mouths.

I am now a miner's wife. I am now someone's wife. Mrs. Gale Hawthorne.


End file.
